Why Lachlan Murdoch quit

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LACHLAN Murdoch felt "chipped away at" and "almost emasculated
in business" when he decided to quit his father Rupert's media
empire, according to an insider's account in New York
magazine.

The cover story headed "The boy who wouldn't be king" has no
direct quotes from Lachlan. But the writer, Steve Fishman, appears
to have had Lachlan's co-operation. He has a verbatim account of a
conversation over lunch in Los Angeles between father and son when
Lachlan decided to quit.

Fishman documents what was going on in Lachlan's mind before his
tumultuous decision.

"I have to do my own thing," Lachlan told his father. "I have to
be my own man."

Lachlan was reportedly worried his relationship with his father
could deteriorate. And he was also worried about how his baby son,
Kalan, might later view him.

News spokesman Greg Baxter said yesterday that Lachlan, 34,
would not comment on the story. Since his shock resignation in
July, reporters have been clamouring to get the first interview
with the former media mogul. But, apart from a press release
talking up his return to Australia and the next phase of his
career, he has remained silent.

Fishman's article confirms earlier stories speculating that the
two reasons for Lachlan's exit were Rupert's overruling him on
management of US TV stations and a bitter squabble over how the
Murdoch children's inheritance would be split.

According to the story, Rupert not only wanted the two young
daughters he has with Wendi Deng to share equally in the family
trust that controls News, he also insisted the toddlers have
votes.

Fishman writes it was impossible for the older children not to
see this as a "land grab and, rightly or wrongly, to discern in it
the hand of Wendi".

The last straw on Rupert's meddling reportedly came when he gave
Fox News chief executive Roger Ailes the go-ahead for a costly
news-based police series tentatively called Crime Line,
which Lachlan opposed.